Korean Air traces its roots to Korean National Airlines, founded in 1946. The South Korean government reorganized it as Korean Air Lines in 1962. The modern company appeared in 1969. That year the Hanjin transport group and its founder, Cho Choong-hoon, bought the struggling state airline. They set out to build a global carrier. Passenger flights across the Pacific to Los Angeles began in 1972.
The famous powder-blue paint and taegeuk-inspired logo arrived in 1984. South Korea's export boom helped Korean Air become one of the world's leading cargo airlines. Its safety record in the 1980s and 1990s was poor. The airline then rebuilt its training and culture and became a model for reform. In 2000 it helped create SkyTeam with Delta, Air France, and Aeromexico. A Delta partnership in 2018 deepened its US ties.
In December 2024 it finished buying rival Asiana Airlines. The deal followed a four-year review by regulators around the world. It created one of Asia's largest airline groups. The budget arms of both companies are merging into Jin Air. A new company identity arrived in 2025. Korean Air also holds large Airbus and Boeing orders as Asiana's fleet and network fold into its Seoul Incheon base.